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    1 Samuel: The Lives of Samuel and Saul
    1 Samuel: The Lives of Samuel and Saul
    1 Samuel: The Lives of Samuel and Saul
    Ebook180 pages2 hours

    1 Samuel: The Lives of Samuel and Saul

    By John F. MacArthur

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    The time of the judges were turbulent days in Israel's history, marked by a continuing cycle of sin, oppression, repentance, and deliverance. In time, the people decided they would do better under the leadership of a king, and they demanded that God provide them with one.

    Samuel, God's anointed prophet, warned they would be getting more than they bargained for, but they continued to insist. The Lord finally provided a king in the person of Saul, and Samuel's warnings came to pass.

    In this study, pastor John MacArthur will guide you through an in-depth look at this historical period beginning with the miraculous birth of Samuel, continuing through Saul's crowning as Israel's first king, and concluding with his tragic death.

    Studies include close-up examinations of Hannah, Eli, Saul, David, and Jonathan, as well as careful considerations of doctrinal themes such as "Slaying a Giant" and "Respecting God's Anointed."

    —ABOUT THE SERIES—

    The MacArthur Bible Study series is designed to help you study the Word of God with guidance from widely respected pastor and author John MacArthur. Each guide provides intriguing examinations of the whole of Scripture by examining its parts and incorporates:

    • Extensive, but straight-forward commentary on the text.
    • Detailed observations on overriding themes, timelines, history, and context.
    • Word and phrase studies to help you unlock the broader meaning and apply it to your life.
    • Probing, interactive questions with plenty of space to write down your response and thoughts.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherThomas Nelson
    Release dateMar 29, 2016
    ISBN9780718034863
    1 Samuel: The Lives of Samuel and Saul
    Author

    John F. MacArthur

    Widely known for his thorough, candid approach to teaching God's Word, John MacArthur is a popular author and conference speaker. He has served as pastor-teacher of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, since 1969. John and his wife, Patricia, have four married children and fifteen grandchildren. John's pulpit ministry has been extended around the globe through his media ministry, Grace to You, and its satellite offices in seven countries. In addition to producing daily radio programs for nearly two thousand English and Spanish radio outlets worldwide, Grace to You distributes books, software, and digital recordings by John MacArthur. John is chancellor of The Master's University and Seminary and has written hundreds of books and study guides, each one biblical and practical. Bestselling titles include The Gospel  According to Jesus, Twelve Ordinary Men, Twelve Extraordinary Women, Slave, and The MacArthur Study Bible, a 1998 ECPA Gold Medallion recipient.

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      Book preview

      1 Samuel - John F. MacArthur

      INTRODUCTION

      After the Israelites settled into the Promised Land, a series of judges led the people for more than four hundred years. However, the Israelites eventually grew bored with that system—even though it had been the Lord’s design. As the people looked around at the pagan nations of Canaan, they saw that everybody else had a king—and they wanted one of their own. Eventually, the Lord would grant their demands, but He would also warn that a king would bring with him a great deal of suffering for the nation.

      In these twelve studies, we will examine the biblical events depicted in the book of 1 Samuel. We will become acquainted with the high priest Eli, and his two wicked sons, Hophni and Phinehas. We will meet Eli’s young protégé, named Samuel, and examine his faithfulness. We will get to know Samuel’s mother, Hannah, and learn why the young boy was brought up by a priest in the temple rather than by his family at home. We will be introduced to Saul, Israel’s first king, and watch his sad decline. Finally, we will meet Saul’s successor, David, who stood in marked contrast to his predecessor.

      Through it all, we will learn some precious truths about the character of God, and we will see His great faithfulness in keeping His promises. We will learn, as did the prophet Samuel and King David, what it means to walk by faith.

      TITLE

      First and Second Samuel were considered one book in the earliest Hebrew manuscripts. They were later divided into two books by the translators of the Greek version, known as the Septuagint. This division was later followed by the Latin Vulgate, English translations, and modern Hebrew Bibles. The earliest Hebrew manuscripts titled the one book Samuel, after the man God used to establish the kingship in Israel.

      AUTHOR AND DATE

      Jewish tradition ascribed the writing of Samuel to the prophet himself or to Samuel, Nathan, and Gad (based on 1 Chronicles 29:29). However, Samuel cannot be the writer, because his death is recorded in 1 Samuel 25:1, before the events associated with David’s reign take place. Further, Nathan and Gad were prophets of the Lord during David’s lifetime and would not have been alive when the book was written. Thus, though the written records of these three prophets could have been used for information in the writing of 1 and 2 Samuel, the human author of these books is unknown. The work comes to the reader as an anonymous writing.

      The books of Samuel contain no clear indication of the date of composition. However, it is clear the author wrote them after the division of the kingdom between Israel and Judah in 931 BC due to the many references to Israel and Judah as distinct entities. Also, the statement concerning Ziklag’s belonging to the kings of Judah to this day in 1 Samuel 27:6 gives clear evidence of a post-Solomonic date of writing. There is no such clarity concerning how late the date of writing could be, but most likely it was penned before the exile during the period of the divided kingdom (c. 931–722 BC).

      BACKGROUND AND SETTING

      The majority of the action in 1 and 2 Samuel takes place in and around the central highlands of Israel. The nation was largely concentrated in an area that ran about ninety miles from the hill country of Ephraim in the north to the hill country of Judah in the south, and between fifteen to thirty-five miles east to west. The major cities of 1 and 2 Samuel were found in these central highlands: Shiloh, the residence of Eli and the tabernacle; Ramah, the hometown of Samuel; Gibeah, the headquarters of Saul; Bethlehem, the birthplace of David; Hebron, David’s capital when he ruled over Judah; and Jerusalem, the ultimate city of David.

      The events in 1 and 2 Samuel occurred between the years c. 1105 BC (the birth of Samuel in 1 Samuel 1:1–28) and c. 971 BC (the last words of David in 2 Samuel 23:1–7). Thus, the books span about 135 years of history. During those years, Israel was transformed from a loosely knit group of tribes under judges to a united nation under the reign of a centralized monarchy. The books primarily examine the lives of Samuel (c. 1105–1030 BC); Saul, who reigned c. 1051–1011 BC; and David, who was king of the united monarchy (c. 1011–971 BC).

      HISTORICAL AND THEOLOGICAL THEMES

      As 1 Samuel begins, Israel was at a low point spiritually. The priesthood was corrupt, the ark of the covenant was not at the tabernacle, idolatry was being practiced, and the judges were dishonest. Through the influence of Samuel and David, these conditions were reversed.

      During the years narrated in 1 and 2 Samuel, the great empires of the ancient world were in a state of weakness. Neither Egypt nor the Mesopotamian powers, Babylon and Assyria, were threats to Israel at this time. The two nations most hostile to the Israelites were the Ammonites to the east and the Philistines to the west. The Ammonites were descendants of Lot (see Genesis 19:38) who lived on the Transjordan plateau. The major contingent of the Philistines had migrated from the Aegean islands and Asia Minor in the twelfth century BC. After being denied access to Egypt, they settled among other Philistines along the Mediterranean coast of Palestine. They controlled the use of iron, which gave them a decided military and economic advantage over Israel.

      There are four predominant theological themes in 1 and 2 Samuel. The first is the Davidic covenant. The books are literally framed by two references to the anointed king in the prayer of Hannah (see 1 Samuel 2:10) and the song of David (see 2 Samuel 22:51). This is a reference to the Messiah, the King who would triumph over the nations who are opposed to God. According to the Lord’s promise, this Messiah would come through the line of David and establish David’s throne forever (see 2 Samuel 7:12–16). The events of David’s life recorded in Samuel foreshadow the actions of David’s greater Son (Christ) in the future.

      A second theme is the sovereignty of God. One example is the birth of Samuel in response to Hannah’s prayer (see 1 Samuel 9:17; 16:12–13). Also, in relation to David, it is particularly evident that nothing can frustrate God’s plan to have him rule over Israel.

      A third theme is the work of the Holy Spirit in empowering people for divinely appointed tasks. The Spirit of the Lord came on both Saul and David after their anointing as king (see 1 Samuel 10:10; 16:13). The power of the Holy Spirit brought forth prophecy (see 10:6) and victory in battle (see 11:6).

      A fourth theme centers on the personal and national effects of sin. The sins of Eli and his sons resulted in their deaths (see 1 Samuel 2–4). The lack of reverence for the ark of the covenant led to the death of a number of Israelites (see 1 Samuel 6:19; 2 Samuel 6:6–7). Saul’s disobedience resulted in the Lord’s judgment, and he was rejected as king over Israel (see 1 Samuel 13 and 15). In addition, though David was forgiven for his sin of adultery and murder after his confession (see 2 Samuel 12:13), he still suffered the inevitable and devastating consequences of his sin (see 12:14).

      INTERPRETIVE CHALLENGES

      The books of 1 and 2 Samuel contain a number of interpretive issues that have been widely discussed. The first issue is which of the ancient manuscripts is closest to the original autograph. The standard Hebrew (Masoretic) text has been relatively poorly preserved, and the Septuagint often differs from it. Thus, the exact reading of the original autograph in places is hard to determine (see, for example, 1 Samuel 13:1). For this study, the Masoretic text will be assumed to represent the original text unless there is a grammatical or contextual impossibility, which will account for many of the numerical discrepancies.

      A second issue is whether Samuel is ambivalent to the establishment of the human kingship in Israel. It is claimed that while 1 Samuel 9–11 presents a positive view of the kingship, 1 Samuel 8 and 12 are strongly anti-monarchial. It is preferable, however, to see the book as presenting a balanced perspective of the human kingship. While the desire of Israel for a king was acceptable (see Deuteronomy 17:15), their reason for wanting a king showed a lack of faith in the Lord.

      A third issue is how to explain the bizarre behavior of the prophets. It is commonly held that 1 and 2 Samuel present the prophets as ecstatic speakers with bizarre behavior, just like the pagan prophets of the other nations. However, there is nothing in the text that is inconsistent with seeing the prophets as communicators of divine revelation, at times prophesying with musical accompaniment.

      A fourth issue is how the Holy Spirit ministered before Pentecost. Passages about the Spirit’s ministry, such as 1 Samuel 10:6, 10; 11:6; 16:13–14; 19:20, 23; and 2 Samuel 23:2, do not describe salvation in the New Testament sense but as an empowering by the Lord for His service (see also Judges 3:10; 6:34; 11:29; 13:25; 14:6, 19; 15:14).

      A final issue concerns the identity of the distressing spirit from the Lord (see, for example, 1 Samuel 16:14). Was this a personal being (that is, a demon) or a spirit of discontent created by God in the heart? Traditionally, this spirit has been viewed as a demon.

      ISRAEL DURING SAMUEL AND SAUL

      1

      HANNAH’S VOW

      1 Samuel 1:1–2:21

      DRAWING NEAR

      What are some types of vows that people make to God? In what kinds of situations do they tend to make these vows?

      [Your Response]

      THE CONTEXT

      We open our study at the close of the time known in Israel as the period of the judges. The judges were individuals whom the Lord raised up at various times and places during a period of some 350 years, beginning soon after Joshua led the people into Canaan. The judges exercised limited authority over portions of Israel, with most of them only dealing with one or two of the twelve tribes. They frequently led Israel into battle against political enemies, and some acted as judges in civil disputes as well.

      As we will see in future studies, a man named Samuel would become Israel’s final judge and God’s prophet to His people. He would be a great man of God and serve the Lord faithfully from his earliest childhood until the day he died. But where did such a man come from? What shaped him to become a great man of God? As the old saying goes, the apple does not fall far from the tree; so who were the parents who prepared him for a lifetime of service?

      In this study, we will meet Samuel’s parents—notably his mother, Hannah. In Samuel’s day, it was considered a disgrace for a woman to be barren. People understood children to be a gift from God, and they took that concept a step further to assume that a wife who bore no children must be under the Lord’s discipline for some sin. This assumption was not true (at least not in Hannah’s case), but that did not stop people from treating her with contempt when she found herself unable to bear children to her husband.

      To make matters much worse, Hannah’s husband had two wives—and the other wife had borne him many sons and daughters. As was common in such polygamous households, the two wives began to resent one another, and the other woman took every opportunity to

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